Law & Disorder
by VeryLongLadder6
Summary: Extrapolation From 3.19; Alexis Breaks A Promise She Made To Her Father - Rated T For Language.


**A/N: Hi. I've had this knocking around for a while. I'm still not completely convinced, but God was it fun to write. We have here some angst, some swearing, some very short sentences, and some emotional shit. Please let me know what you think.**

**...**

Disclaimer: None of this is mine.

**...**

A scarf, that's what it is. A fucking scarf. In the middle of it all, Castle can't help but wish it had at least had been Hermes. But of course it isn't. It's just a fucking scarf. They're way uptown when they get the call. There's been a group of teens caught shoplifting in a boutique down on Bleeker. It would be in their best interest to attend. One is giving their name as Castle.

He leaps in the car, actually leaps. They leave a dead body and a mistress and the concerned faces of their friends. He's livid, shaking. Says nothing until they reach Midtown, when she decides she's worried he's going to hurl in her car.

'Are you OK?' She asks.  
>'Kate, I can't talk about this yet.' She nods.<br>'It's alright.'

It's a long journey.

[...]

And he leaps out of the car at the other end. Before she can stop him. As though she would. He marches into the store; there are uniforms here, huddled round a group of 4 girls. There's a redhead.

He descends on his daughter like a fog, grabs her arm, wrenches her to a corner.

They're fighting, that much is plain to see. But their voices are low. They are practiced at having private moments in public; know how to conceal things. She tries desperately to avert her eyes; talks to some of the other kids.

They'd just been messing around. These are Park Avenue girls; they can pay for the scarf. And now they will. Kate struts around, spewing nonsense about the law, making sure her badge and gun are on show. She watches them sit sheepishly amidst brilliant dresses and effervescent hats. And feels such a surge of grief.

She finds the owner of the store, a woman; late 30s, wearing sandals, unhappily unmarried and beside herself, convinced they've swept in to get the famous man's daughter off the hook. There's nothing Kate can say, there's nothing she can do. The woman wants to press charges; wants them arrested.

Castle comes back, touches her arm.

'How'd it go?' She asks.  
>'Badly,' he says. 'What's going to happen?'<br>'Castle -' she falters. He catches it.  
>'What is it?'<br>'The owner wants to press charges. My hands are tied here; I'm going to need to arrest them.'

He looks at her, and for all the time they've spent together she has no idea what he's thinking.

'OK,' he says.  
>'I'm sorry,' she says.<br>'It's OK.'

But it's not.

[...]

It's awful. They ride to the station with Alexis in the back. Castle rings his mother from the front seat. His voice cracks as he uses the word _shame_, though by this point Alexis has been sobbing for about 10 blocks. When he hangs up there's silence in the car, and Kate can't help but feel like a voyeur. She shouldn't be here; shouldn't be seeing something so painful. So intimate.

[...]

At the station he spares Alexis no indignity. He wants her processing with the rapists and the drug addicts. They're put in a holding cell with prostitutes and thieves. Kate can't bear to see his daughter treated like this, so she does it herself; takes the photos, fills out the forms. When rolling Alexis's fingertips in ink she can't stop herself giving the girl's hand a squeeze. Wants her to know they've got her covered. Though Kate is not herself convinced.

An hour later she comes up from locking them away to find him sat at her desk. Sipping coffee. She sits across from him in the chair he would usually occupy. He doesn't ask where she's been. Doesn't want to hear her say it. But he leans over the desk towards her, places a cold hand on top of her own.

'Thank you,' he says, though it's little more than a whisper. 'I couldn't have done that.'

[...]

He lets Alexis sit down there for hours. Spends the whole time staring into space while they solve a murder without him. It turns out to be more difficult than Kate had envisaged. It turns out they need him. She sidles up to him carefully.

'Castle?' He just grunts. 'What are you doing?' Still nothing. 'Castle –'  
>'She's still down there.'<br>'I know.'  
>'I don't want to go get her out.'<br>'I know.'

'If your roles were reversed, what would she do?' She continues. He laughs bitterly.  
>'That's not the point.'<br>'Then what _is_ the point?'  
>'It's a parenting thing Kate; I can't explain it to you.'<p>

He gets up. Glides out of the room on his own slimy piety.

[...]

When she leaves that evening Kate checks holding, just in case. There's a redhead. Her friends are gone now, no doubt bailed out by the million dollar lawyers Castle could afford by the dozen. She's just sat there, alone but for some strung out kid lying catatonic on the bench.

The two women look at each other.

'Come on,' says Kate. 'I'm busting you out.'

[...]

It's all legal, perfectly above board. She's bailed out, just like all the others are. Gets her possessions back in a little brown bag.

'Does my Dad know about this?' Alexis asks as they leave.  
>'No. And it should stay that way for now.'<br>'He's going to be pretty mad.'  
>'Justifiably, don't you think?' Kate glances over. The girl looks lost. 'Don't worry Alexis, I'll call him tonight.'<p>

[...]

She doesn't. They end up watching romantic comedies on the couch, fall asleep curled up in a nest of candy wrappers and popcorn. As they drift off Alexis starts to speak, but it's so soft Kate almost misses it.

'I never really had a mother,' she says.  
>'You've got a Dad who would do anything for you.'<br>'Yeah,' the girl continues, 'but sometimes you just need your Mom, you know?'  
>'I know.'<p>

Somehow Kate's hand finds its way to Alexis' head, begins stroking her hair.

'What was your mother like?'  
>'I'm starting to forget her,' Kate says.<br>'Did you do stuff like this?'  
>'Binge on candy and fall asleep in front of the TV?'<br>'Yeah.' Kate pauses.  
>'Yes,' she says, 'we did.'<p>

[...]

It's not awkward the next morning. Kate makes them breakfast. Alexis showers and dresses and heads for school. Almost as soon as she's gone there's a pounding at the door. Thinking Alexis must have forgotten something Kate answers it without second thought.

It's Castle. He's pretty pissed off.

'So,' he says, 'how are we this morning?'

And he actually begins to pace.

'Yes, she stayed here.' He stops, looks at her. 'I went down to see her in holding. It was pathetic Castle, I had to get her out.'  
>'No you didn't. That was my job.'<br>'Well you weren't doing it.'

He looks, all of a sudden, defeated. He sits down without invitation; she can't bring herself to make a comment.

'I don't know what I'm doing here,' he says. 'I've never done anything like this before.'  
>'I know.'<br>'I thought I was doing the best thing for her, leaving her down there. Teaching her a lesson.'

He looks up at her desperately.

'I don't know this girl. Fighting? Stealing? My daughter doesn't do that. I mean, what am I supposed to do?'  
>'You're a good father Rick.' He stops. 'You've done a good job.'<p>

He looks away from her.

'Is Alexis at school?'  
>'Yes.'<br>'And she's coming here afterwards?'  
>'We didn't discuss it.'<p>

He stands.

'I need to get her back,' he says. She just nods.

[...]

He doesn't come to the precinct. She calls him, leaves a message about work. She can't even bring herself to care about the case. It shows.

But there's another phone call that evening. This time Alexis brings the movies. A Spielberg marathon.

'I figured we could do with some happy endings,' the girl says.

But by the end of ET they're all out of popcorn. So they go out, buying goodies from Kate's favourite deli, stopping for hot chocolate on the way back. They sit and talk and giggle about men and life and Castle. But at the very mention of his name Kate gets a twinge.

'It happened before,' Alexis says. 'We took something from a store. I went back and paid for it, but we still took it. I promised my Dad it wouldn't happen again.'  
>'Why <em>did<em> it happen again?'  
>'I don't know, everything just moved so quickly. My Dad's heartbroken. I can't go home.'<br>'I understand.'  
>'He's all I've got, he's my best friend. To just break his trust like that is –'<br>'I understand.'

And she does.

[...]

When she sees him the next morning, unshaven unwashed and pale as a ghost, she aches. Just from the sight of him. He stalks towards her, there's no other word for it. Sits at the end of her desk, doesn't say a word. He hasn't brought her coffee. She's got paperwork and she does it furiously, but when she's finished it all there is nothing to do but talk to him.

'Look –' she starts  
>'How do you expect me to feel here Kate?' He pauses. 'I need my daughter to come home.'<br>'What do you want from her Castle? She doesn't know what you want.'  
>'I want her to face up to her punishment like an adult.'<br>'But she's not an adult –'  
>'You can't <em>condone<em> this?'  
>'Of course I don't <em>condone<em> this. It's going on her record, for the rest of her life. Every college, every employer; they're all going to see this – that when she was a teenager she and some stupid friends took a fucking scarf. She's got enough on her plate without you going off on whatever the hell this is.' She pauses. 'And she's walking around thinking she's broken your heart.'  
>'She has broken my heart.'<p>

'But do you love her any less for it?'  
>'Not a bit.'<p>

'Kate –' he begins.  
>'I don't want any part in this Castle. But she asked me.'<br>'You could have said no.'  
>'Could I <em>really<em>? Do you actually think I would have turned away your daughter?'

He flinches.

'Do you have any idea how much money I have?' He says. 'How much I'm worth? I'd have bought her any fucking scarf she'd wanted.'  
>'That's not what it's about.'<br>'Then what _is_ it about?'  
>'I don't know. But apparently you don't either. So don't pull any of that "parenting" crap on me.'<p>

This time it's her who storms out.

[...]

He stays for a little while. Drinks coffee and reads the murder board and pretends he isn't thinking about women. He gives in eventually of course. Stands, walks out, goes home. Sits on his couch and for 2 hours looks at the wall. His mother comes home eventually, laden down with bags.

'She won't come home you know,' she says. 'Not until you talk to her.'

He gets a cab to Kate's apartment.

[...]

When she opens the door Kate practically sags against the frame. Neither of them says anything, but she opens the door further. He walks past her; sits on the couch next to Alexis, who bristles against him. Kate busies herself in the kitchen making drinks nobody wants. She comes back in to find them sat in silence. So she makes popcorn. When she returns to the silent room with an overflowing bowl they have no choice but to watch a movie. Monty Python, and when they're done with that comes pizza more popcorn and The Matrix.

Kate wakes up midway through _Revolutions_ to find herself sprawled on Alexis. They're leaning like dominoes on Castle; his arm is round them, his hand on Kate's shoulder. When she looks up at him he gives her a squeeze, gives her a smile.

[...]

Again, somehow it isn't awkward in the morning. Though they all know it should be. They don't speak much, laughing at Castle's Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes, fighting over the hot water. There's a gaping chasm between what they say and what they want to say, but this morning it feels a little smaller.

Castle bids Alexis a good day as she leaves for school. She nods.

'I'll see you later,' he says. It comes out as a question.

She nods again, thanks Kate, leaves.

When she's gone Kate turns to him.

'Did you sleep?' She asks.  
>'Not really, did you?'<br>'Like a corpse.'

He smiles; that big goofy grin plastered to his face. All of a sudden her knees don't feel quite as sturdy as she remembers.

'You coming in today?' She asks.  
>'I think I'm going to go home and write for a bit.'<br>'OK.'

Only he's still smiling at her. He bends to pick up his coat, moves towards the door. Turns back.

'You know something?'  
>'What?'<br>'Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I'd never met you.'  
>'And what's the verdict?'<br>'That it wouldn't have been much of a life at all.'

They're close, somehow, and she meets his eyes on their way back from looking at her lips. He would have made a play for her then, would have tilted her head back and slipped his hand round her neck and kissed her kissed her kissed her. Only her mouth is hanging open from his confession; he doesn't know which lip to go for, wouldn't know how to begin. They're not ready yet.

[...]

When there's no phone call for her that night Kate presumes Alexis is sleeping in her own bed. Not that it stops her worrying. Eventually she puts on a movie. Eats popcorn. Doses off in the warmth, in the absence of them.

[...]

He's better the next morning. Calmer. As he walks her way he stops to joke with the boys, slapping Esposito round the shoulder. Kate never thought she'd see the day where that would be the benchmark. He brings her coffee, sets it down beside a bearclaw.

'How badly have I behaved?' He says, and she laughs.  
>'It wasn't that bad.'<p>

He smiles, sits.

'Are you ok?' She asks.  
>'No.'<br>'Will you be?'  
>'Yes.'<p>

They sit and they look at each other. He answers the question before she can ask it.

'One of her friends was the ringleader,' he says, 'Alexis followed like the proverbial sheep.'  
>'Maybe things just got out of hand.'<br>'That's what she said. That she lost control. That she didn't know they were doing it until they were doing it.'

She nods.

'Kate,' he says. 'Thank you.'  
>'Don't worry about it.'<br>'No.' And his hand is on her arm. 'Seriously; thank you.'  
>'Always.'<p>

Somehow his tongue feels awfully large in his mouth. He clears his throat. She's blushing.

'So what are you going to do now?' She says.  
>'We're going up to the Hamptons for a few days for some quality family time. Meredith's coming.'<p>

Her stomach drops.

'Oh really,' she says. And wants to scratch his eyes out. 'When do you go?'  
>'Right now, I only came in to see you.'<br>'Oh really.'

She's quiet, and he looks to her.

'Are you alright?' He asks.  
>'Of course, I'm glad this is over.'<br>'You'll finally have your apartment back.'  
>'Yes -' she laughs, realises what she's said. 'No. That's not what I meant.'<br>'What did you mean?'  
>'That I'm glad you're working through this.'<p>

He stands and so does she. They look at each other, look down at the bearclaw.

'When will you be back?' She says.  
>'I'm not sure.'<br>'I'll see you soon?'  
>'Yeah.'<p>

Then he's turning and walking and Kate can't ever remember seeing anything worse. Perhaps you can't lose what was never yours, but she _was_ his and he _was_ hers and she was going to lose him. She watches him step into the elevator, and feels something shifting inside her.

'Wait,' she's shouting.

Before she realises what she's doing she's running, reaching him. Only she isn't sure what happens next. So she's stood before him, pressed to the opposite side of the elevator, out of breath, watching as the doors close and they begin their descent. And then there's nothing to do but talk to him.

'Castle,' she says. 'You're the glue that holds my life together.'

So he strides over to her, wraps himself around her, kisses her kisses her kisses her.

'Kate,' he says.  
>'Meredith –'<br>'Is the mother of my daughter.'

She licks her lips. Looks up into blue eyes. Reaches in to kiss him again. There's almost a disastrous nose collision, and for a second she wonders how he's so much better than her at this. But her hands are threading through his hair and his hands are so light on her waist she can only just feel them. And then it doesn't matter so much.

He pulls back and he's smiling against her.

'I'm the glue that holds your life together?'  
>'Shut up.'<br>'Really?'  
>'Shut up.'<br>'I'm just surprised; I didn't expect you to ever say something quite so -' he pauses, takes a breath, 'melodramatic.'

The elevator stops, the doors open to the parking lot with a ridiculous ping. She's pulling away but now his arms are wrapped around her firmly, his hands locked together at the small of her back. He's grinning that stupid grin again. And he's kissing her and Kate is hoping in the back of somewhere that Meredith is sitting in a car nearby. That she can see this; that she can see they _fucking_ belong together.

'Don't you have somewhere to be?' She says. And he's letting her go.  
>'Come with us.'<br>'I have a case.'  
>'Will you call me?'<p>

She smiles. Nods.

'We'll see.'

He grins, kisses her, walks away. She stands and watches him leave, stands there grinning like an idiot as the elevator doors close. Presses the button, smiles all the way back to the office.


End file.
